1. It was built to honor the favorite wife of Shah Jahan

Many of the world’s most famous buildings have been dedicated the leaders such as Kings and Pharaohs or the Gods. But not the Taj Mahal, it was built to honor the Mogul Emperor’s beloved wife Mumtaz, who died during childbirth.

Shah Jahan had many wives, which are also buried in the same complex, but it was Mumtaz who was his favorite wife. So there is a romantic and tragic story behind the construction, which has been named as one of the most romantic gestures in history.

2. The Taj Mahal is one of the new seven wonders of the world

In 2007, people from all over the world voted the Taj Mahal as one of the new seven wonders of the world. It was an initiative that was started because all of the old wonders of the world, except Cheop’s Pyramid, had been destroyed.

Since 1983 it has been recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

3. It has Islamic calligraphy inscriptions all over

The Calligrapher left a very humble signature that can be translated as “Written by the insignificant being, Amanat Khan Shirazi”.

The Calligraphic inscriptions in Arabic are texts from the Quran, and they are beautifully inscribed in various places. The most prominent inscription might be the one on the great gate which says the following:

“O soul, you are at rest. Return to the Lord in peace with him, and he at peace with you”

4. Cars and buses must stay at least 500 meters away from Taj Mahal

India has a major problem with air pollution due to heavy traffic, so in order to protect the Taj Mahal from the harmful effects of pollution, there can be no cars and buses closer than 500 meters away from the entrance.

But don’t worry, it’s easy to walk from the drop-off.

5. The architecture of Taj Mahal is a combination of Islamic, Persian and Indian style

If I have to choose one building in the world with the most impressive architecture and details, it would undoubtedly be Taj Mahal. In pictures, it looks grand and beautiful, but it’s way beyond that when seeing it in real life.

You will immediately start to question how can humans build such a beautiful place, and why don’t we build places like this anymore. It is definitely one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and there are no words that can describe the true beauty of the Taj Mahal.

Photo: Shutterstock

5 x Surprising Facts about Taj Mahal

The grave is not perfectly symmetrical and the crypt is not decorated

It is closed every Friday, and only Muslims who comes here to attend prayers are allowed in the afternoon

The mogul emperor is said to have spent about 32 million rupees to build Taj Mahal. If you calculate that sum with today’s value, it would be close to 1 billion USD.

The wooden foundation would have collapsed if it wasn’t situated on the Yamuna Bank, which has helped keep it strong and moist for centuries

It was supposed to be built in Burhanpur where Shah Jahan’s beloved wife Mumtaz died. But when planning the construction it wasn’t possible to supply enough white marble to Burhanpur, so it was decided to build Taj Mahal in Agra, where it still stands majestically

5 x Taj Mahal Facts for kids

It is estimated that the construction project had 22,000 laborers and 1000 elephants working on the site

The pillars were constructed to fall outwards in case of a collapse to prevent them from falling on the tomb

Up to 8 million visitors come here to admire Taj Mahal, which is the most famous landmark in India

Both Mumtaz and the Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan is buried inside the crypt

It took 20 years to finish the mausoleum

Photo: Shutterstock

General Facts about Taj Mahal

Here is some more general information that might be interesting to know if you’re looking for Taj Mahal facts.

Year of construction: From 1632 to 1653.

Material: White marble.

Cost of building: ~ 32 million Indian Rupees.

Built by: Shah Jahan (the Mogul emperor)

Architect: Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.

Location: Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Entrance fee: 1000 Rupees for foreigners.

Yearly visitors: 7-8 million people.

Other buildings

Main entrance (Darwaza-i Rauza)

Jawab Masjid – (The Mosque on the left side)

Jawab

How many of these Taj Mahal facts did you already know? Leave a comment below!